Burning Flame, Craving Soul
by fearlessreverie
Summary: Riku has past demons that continue to haunt him, yet he finds himself slipping more and more towards his new love later yaoi.slow but steady RxS
1. Shrouding Darkness

Well obviously this is an AU fic. I am not quite sure where this is going to go but bear with me here guys! So far there is one original character of mine, and that will probably be all that I add so don't worry about that…and yeah I guess that's all so yes Enjoy!

Burning Flame, Craving Soul 

**Chapter 1: Shrouding Darkness**

It was all going perfectly. A velvet rooftop twinkled shyly with stars that slowly made their way into the darkening sky. Outside of Olive Garden (1) the gentle aroma of garlic and other herbs floated gently on the air. The tantalizing smell cast a sort of lulling spell on anyone nearby and an internal peace seemed to settle over the diners. A couple sat at a small table located in the patio of the building and the candle that flickered up from the table caused reflected flames to dance in the lover's eyes.

On one side of the table sat a woman who possessed a childish type of beauty that belittled her age. Brown chocolate locks spiked down over a milky complexion. Her hair normally reached the tips of her shoulders yet, this evening it was pulled back into an elegant bun defying its normal hectic nature it seemed tamed clasped in a black rose pendant. She wore a black dress that clung to her lithe frame showing off her curves without being over zealous. Clear blue eyes glazed over locked gazes with the man sitting on the other side of the table.

The man dressed formally as well in a black jacket and pants, with the top couple of buttons on a silk navy blue shirt open revealing his two collar bones. His silver shining hair separated into soft spikes that cascaded down the back of his neck gracefully. Aqua eyes returned the loving gaze with a deep passion that threatened to consume his being.

Somewhere softly the serenading music of a violin began to slow and eventually it stopped. Still time seemed to wait for the two who communicated so strongly without words or actions. The love radiating off of them cautioned their waiter on waking them from their secluded reverie yet the restaurant had technically been closed for hours and he too had a loved one he wished to be spending time with.

So with somewhat of a forced interrupting cough he gently escorted them to the front door where they still seemed to be walking in their dream. Leaving with an exasperated sigh the waiter still retained a small smile at the sight of such young potent love.

Being the first to speak the man's voice broke the magic of the silence in a deep comforting tone that gently waked his companion without actually touching her.

"Shall we take our leave _Mrs. Sarophin Namide_?" He said making a special emphasis on her name causing a chain reaction of excitement to over come her. She blushed deeply and couldn't help but glance for the millionth time that evening at the not so modest gem adorned upon her finger. In a smooth voice she tried to conceal her giddy excitement but failed miserably.

"Oh yes, lets Mr. Riku Namide," she finished with an excited giggle and threw her arms gracefully around his neck and met their foreheads together so that their noses brushed and their eyes were mere centimeters apart.

"I love you so much." Riku replied as the burning passion once again consumed his eyes and with a ferociously seriousness. She returned the emotion as forcibly as she could before her bubbling euphoria took over again and she childishly twirled away and led the way over to his fancy sports car.

He couldn't help but smile at her actions. He always seemed to smile when he was around her. Just standing next to her could change what was turning into a nightmare of a day into one of gleaming happiness. Her innocence was pure and uncommon and he loved her with his whole being. So tonight he had finally taken the leap and asked her that one burning question that was the only cure to contain his intense passion.

He still couldn't express the relief that she had accepted. He didn't doubt her love but at the young age of 18 he feared she didn't feel that same need for bondage that he craved for. Yet she'd said yes! His mind was still numb at the sudden relief of the tension and the apprehension. And now they were fiancés. He cherished the feeling and with another heart-melting smile he jogged after the love of his life and opened the door for her to smoothly enter his car.

She found herself not being able to stop smiling and noticed that her companion seemed possessed by the same unrelenting giddy feeling. Even though he tried to conceal it she had grown accustomed to his macho attitude and saw right through to his emotions. While others only saw clouded eyes she seemed to see straight into his soul and responded to his inner emotions with extroverted exuberance. It was she in the beginning who had found him and taken him in to protect his once fragile heart. She had healed him from his past demons, as he had to cope with abusive parents and a broken childhood.

Slightly shaking her head she refused to relive those times in their lives where the confident charming man sitting next to her had once been a soulless husk of existence. Their bond held the strength of time and their love grew of off that strength.

Riku seemed to be slipping out of his shocked mode and his cocky attitude returned to the surface. Not everyone saw this more wild side of him, yet whenever Riku and Saro combined his active impressive attitude switched on and she couldn't find herself anything but lost in her affection.

"Well it seems to me," Riku began his soothing voice capturing the attention of Saro. "We still have some time before we break the news to your parents…" he paused for affect and she smiled widely as the similar idea formed in her mind.

" I do believe it have the time to visit the…"

"OOOOOOOOOOOH CAN WE PLEASE GO! I LOVE THE BEACH RIGHT NOW OH PLEASEEEEEEE?" Saro interrupted and almost whined/begged him with huge pleading eyes and pouted lips. His rumbling chuckle was all answer she needed and she faced front with an eagerly excited look on her face.

Pulling out onto the highway Riku couldn't help but to continual glance over at Saro. She would occasionally turn to look back but before she caught him looking he was back to watching the road. This childish game continued for a few minutes until she poked him haughtily and jokingly complained,

"Riku, stop staring." He turned to look at her and then poked her back responding.

"Oh, what you gonna do about it?" She looked slightly surprised before raising one eyebrow and grinning guiltily she said,

"Only this…" and with that she launched a viscous tickling assault on the driver. He broke out into fits of laughter and writhed hysterically as she ruthlessly tickled on.

"Ahh….SA...RO! Cut it….OUTTTT!" he howled as he gasped to gain breathe that he laughed away.

In a split-second Saro looked out the front windshield and her eyes widened, Riku looked to see what she was starring at and only saw headlights before he was severely whip-lashed and closed his eyes in pain. His car continued to grind into the car that had hit them head-on until the force of it mercilessly ripped his car in two as the larger car plowed straight through the middle and finally swerved to the right and slowly swayed on its left side. All he remembered was opening his eyes and looking to his right to see that the right side of his car was missing along with it Saro. Before he could call out her name he found her unconscious body still strapped into the side of the car over to the left. Blood was already dripping down from her temple and he hurriedly struggled to stand.

Yet time slowed and froze with the caused affect of Riku feeling like he was running in sticking tar. The large truck swayed and tipped and finally crunched down right on top of Saro's side of the car. He stumbled and tripped trying to run over to the truck. When he got there all that he could see of Saro was her head and a cut left arm that hung awkwardly from where her shoulder should have been.

Her eyes were growing dilated and Riku searched for any sign of life within her once bright blue pools.

"No." he whispered as the tears began to flow freely from his eyes. "Saro… my Saro your not dead…open your eyes and tell me that you are not dead." Yet she remained still and his lone figure crouched down in the gathering pool of crimson. As her life flowed away with the slowing pulses of her heart he lowered his head. And the salty tears mingled with her blood. He painstakingly joined their foreheads as she had done less then an hour ago when she had been breathing and living and providing the vital flame that kept his soul alive.

Riku didn't notice as the flashing lights began to surround him or as the paramedics tried to drag him away from the over-turned vehicle that had caught on fire and was nearing the point of explosion. As the flames flickered and danced on the truck's metal surface Riku kissed Saro's bloody lips for one last time and ran his hands through her now sticky chocolate hair that was matting with the thick liquid flooding from the wound in her temple. He grasped his hand around her black rose pendant as his vision slowly became blurred. The rescue team started to drag him away. But not even as he was driven off in the red and white ambulance van could he shake the vision of his dead loved one drowning in a pool of crimson tears.

Somewhere in the cruel conscious that Saro had silenced within him a bitter voice echoed in his now empty heart,

"It's all your fault, you killed her, you worthless piece how could you think anyone would EVER love you?."

The emergency medics looked on in apprehension as his body trembled and produced endless streams of tears. In a diminutive whisper he voiced "Saro" before falling deep into the shrouding darkness.

(1) Olive Garden is a really scrumptious Italian restaurant where I live…so yeah sorry if that caused confusion….also yes they are 18 and seniors in high school.

Alrighty well that's the start I hope you the scenes weren't too boring or confusing, I can always understand what I'm writing but then you look back on it and are like uhh….wtf mate? This doesn't make any sense…so yeah please review!


	2. Dark Despair

Hizzah chapter 2! Aren't you excited it wasn't a oneshot! Haha no but I do thank **Blacksoul Andy** my sole reviewer you rock! Hurray! No but seriously this will probably not be as long…because I'm trying to hurry up and get into the thickness of this story without boring you to death…but I still want to build up the angst and pain (not sadistic I swear) ..eh-heh heh so anyways on with it!

Burning Flame, Craving Soul 

**Chapter 2: Dark Despair**

Thick suffocating darkness surrounded him. Drifting through this dark abyss conscious thought scraped the surface of his imagined sanctuary. The throbbing in his temple returned and finally he could no longer ignore the blaring pain intent on keeping him aware of his white prison.

Only two days had passed since he had arrived. His thoughts gathered tightly in the back of his head he strained to close off the mental door that would protect him from the knowledge. He knew what had happened. He knew, but couldn't force himself to face it. Images threatening to swarm his vision started leaking through his mental gates, like water breaking through a damn. Slowly at first little flashes of lights and pavement appeared and then the blood. Everywhere the red liquid suffocated him and the damn broke through and he saw her struggling calling for his help but he couldn't reach her.

Some cruel demon tortured her and all he could do was watch as her blood splattered on his hair and face. Her screaming cries of agony echoed within him ripping at his soul with their painful daggers. His fire goes cold and the demon turns around. Aqua eyes glare back at him but a smirk is still adorned on his cruel features. His tormentor is enjoying the pain that he causes. Sadistically cruel eyes flash between the wounded of body and the wounded of mind.

Riku makes one last struggle to help her, Sarophim, yet the demon kicks him and steps on his back in triumph. Finally meeting the gaze of evil he jolted awake, for the nightmare was him.

Riku wrenched open his eyes trying to blind away the painful image with the blaring hospital light. Machines all around him beeped and whizzed tracking his vitals. The clean starchy smell of iodine and cleanliness poisoned the air.

His faded eyes gazed around the room, painfully white and metal. The tape securing the needle in his arm caused his skin to turn blotchy red. The bandage securely wrapped around his head itched terribly and the sterile smell numbed his senses and his head throbbed from the overall pain. He felt weak from the drugs and he knew he looked horrible.

The doctors worried over his condition because he couldn't sleep. Anytime he closed his eyes the images of his love dying over and over again by his own hands strangled any thoughts of rest. The only peace he found was when he passed out from the exhaustion; however, these times didn't come often enough. This small sanctuary he welcomed greatly. His caretakers worry was justified because if he continued to drift off into the state of unawareness he would permanently stay there in a coma. Forever lost to the outside world. And he didn't give a damn.

Loosing the battle against his sanity he dreamed of the times when he would be lost. He found nothingness more welcoming then the memories.

Still, some small part of him strengthened him; it seemed as if Saro herself kept pushing him out of the dark edging him forward towards his better health. Maybe it was Saro, or maybe his mind enjoyed playing this trick on him to get him to survive. Either way after a few weeks the doctors finally discharged him, but kept him on anti-depressants. As he checked out and finally left the building the nurses gave each other worried looks. They were the ones who heard his screaming nightmares and the cries of his broken spirit.

Finally stepping out into the light he squinted. After spending such a long time inside the natural light seared his vulnerable eyes. His parents, he knew, would eventually come to drive him home but he needed a little space where people weren't surrounding him constantly choking him with their sympathetic looks and fretfully worried questions. Although his head ached still the doctors removed the bandages so at least he didn't look as freakish as he felt.

It was painful. Everything he saw reminded him of her. The happy couples that flocked around him enjoyed the summer sun and the gentle breeze blissfully unaware of the longing and bitter pain that resonated from his pathetic being. Although he despised feeling this low, so helpless and pathetic, he couldn't help it. Every kiss of the wind reminded him of her soft fingertips and every couple he passed he envisioned as himself and her strolling arm in arm making plans for there upcoming wedding.

He stopped walking, that final realization that no there would be no wedding. He scoffed at himself, who would he marry, her corpse? His engagement ring still adorned on his finger winked back at him as he gazed down to his fallen hand. He felt the need to crawl back into the darkness again as the pain grasped around his broken heart and squeezed it together clenching all the air out of his lungs. He fell to his knees gasping for breath.

Rummaging through his jacket he pulled out a small orange bottle with a white plastic top. Struggling to snap open the lid with his shaking hands he quickly swallowed two of his pills dry. His tremors started to cease. He stood back up and brushed the dust from his clothes. Face set in a blank mask, his pupils dilated until more black then aqua color shone through. This was the effect of his anti-depressants. This sweet detachment from the world was like living through his black sanctuary only walking and talking as if in the real world.

This bitter sweet life of walking through a shadow granted him a free passport through life without the pain. So he built the mental walls using the times of the drug-created euphoria as building blocks. Slowly at first he soon blocked off his emotions from his acting mind. The price he paid for saving his mind from the pain, a personal detachment. He walked through the world in a foggy glass; none of his friends seemed real.

Everything was so fake. His interest was lost. The things he loved, greedily indulged his every pleasure into, sickened him. The loss, the lack of the things he truly cherished. The unworthiness of their time together suffered more under his under appreciation. A hollow shell of existence comforted only by the sweet medication in his orange bottle.

Friends and family forced only to watch as he spiraled downward on the road of self-destruction. Onlookers could not fathom why this once inspirational man would kill his future. Sadly others knew. The guilt clouded his judgment. He felt utterly at loss not only because of the grief but the heavily laying conscious that repetitively told him he was the one who had done it.

His parents at first sympathetic grew disapproving and annoyed with what they assumed was simply attention seeking desperate behavior. Until one night they finally came to a decision that would alter fate and hopefully rid him of his downward slump.

"Son we need to talk, as in now." His father stated as Riku entered his front door and started up the stairs directly to his room. Pausing to breathe deeply in and out he slowly turned around and glided over to the sitting room where his parents waited expectantly.

"We know you've faced some hard times recently," his mother began searching her son's face for any sign of acknowledgement. He merely shrugged as though indifferent to what his parents were trying to say. If they couldn't understand what he was facing in his mind, if they thought he was being an angst ridden teenager then they could just fuck off like the rest of the uncaring world that had decided to forsake him.

"…So we really think its for the best if you go and stay with your Uncle and attend the Aldridge Academy there, and we realize that it is a year-round school, but perhaps it would be best to leave this town for your studies because…" His mother slowed her speech at the still lack of reaction from her son.

"So what do you think eh?" His father drawled not containing the patience that his wife still garnered for the depressed adolescent.

So they had finally grown tired of him, had they? His inner demons continued to leer at him as everyone he trusted cast him aside. Finally shrugging with the accompaniment with a curt nod of his head he stood up to leave the room. His mother shot up to hug him and started mumbling about all of the things she needed to arrange before the swiftly approaching entrance deadlines.

His father offered a brisk handshake which Riku nodded away and then hoisted his self up the stairs and closed his locked door behind him. His parents exchanged a worried glance, but then bustled away, secretly relieved that the dark cloud of despair would be removed from their threshold.

**END**

Well yeah so that was shorter and choppier…I kinda feel guiltily lazy for making that so swift…but yeah it is what it is sorry if I'm offending anyone with my lack of talent and my gross amount of exhaustion. But please review anyways…criticizing comments are always welcome too!


	3. Just Breathe

Ok so this is finals week and while I should be studying I decided that I needed a break and so to ease my mind from doing nothing I will now try to crank the next chapter out... so no promises on whether it'll be horrible or not because I am feeling so stressed. Haha but that's the way I like I am so on with the story.

Burning Flame, Craving Soul

**Chapter 3: Just Breathe**

Flying over hypnotic terrain he finally tore his eyes away from the window. His parents had tried to coax him into flying first class, but he refused. Their attempts to buy back his good graces annoyed him and were really a waste of money and time. If they really wanted him to forgive them for sending him off cross country to live with some strange relative, to enter an unknown school that would force him to live there year round in the dorms, and on top of all that his flight had been delayed by three hours. Ok so maybe that wasn't his parents fault. But he knew he was back into one of his angst ridden moods and wanted to blame every one of his problems on the world as a whole. Well at least he realized it.

After arriving at the airport all in a rush at four a.m. this morning so that he would not miss his flight he was already loathing the early morning. Yet, upon finding out that he would have to wait for his plane to come in. And no, the flight attendant could not tell him when that would be happening; he continued to steep in his agitation.

He massaged his temples after gazing down at his wrist watch to find that it was ten.

"This is why I hate traveling." He muttered and then continued his activity of starring out the window.

"What's the little badger look like anyways?" Slurred a blonde haired man. He stood there with arms crossed over his chest, toothpick hanging lazily out of the corner of his lips. He was also pissed that the flight had been delayed and he had to sit around and wait for three hours after the scheduled pick up time.

"Relax, just sit down and wait. He'll get here soon enough." His companion spoke from behind him. She too looked agitated, but in a more defeated way. Her aqua eyes darting around quickly searching the crowd, she finally sighed and leaned her head backwards. As if realizing that there was nothing to do about the crappy situation, so why complain? She wore all black with lots of belts and metal adornments. Bangs hung lazily in front of her face while the rest of her long silver hair was hair swooped out behind her. (1)

"Sephira you never worry about anything." The blonde haired man sat down next to his companion. He really didn't have time to just sit around and wait like this. But he did owe her a favor, after all of the times she had argued his son out of trouble, it was to her gratitude he owed his child's shaky enrollment in the prestigious school. It was the same school that her nephew would be attending. The nephew for which they were waiting.

"Hey, Cid thanks again for offering your transportation services." Cid whirled around to stare at her. How was it that she always seemed to be able to read his mind? She just nodded with her knowing smile as he stared at her flabbergasted. After a few more seconds of undeniable confusion he shrugged his shoulders and went to sit down next to the oddly psychic woman.

After a few more minutes of idle conversation both of their eyes trained on the large mass of people exiting out of the specified gate of her nephew's arrival. Sephira stood up ready to greet the youth. Even though she had no idea what he looked like.

Although Sephira would never admit it she was actually nervous about meeting her relative. She was especially worried about what he would think when she told him that his uncle was, well, uh…. Her mind drew a blank. How do you tell a depressed teen that the person who is supposed so be in charge of their welfare just up and left? Just smile and nod her mind jokingly told her.

After learning of the boy's crisis and how his uncle, lacking a backbone had merely abandoned him she stepped forward valiantly to take control of his life. She'd always wanted a son to implant her plans and evil doings in it. She smirked triumphantly she would corrupt the youth, lovingly of course. But while she was willing, she worried about his reaction to the sudden change in plans.

Cid noticed her obvious discomfort and couldn't help but smile. She would make a loving mother for her nephew. Not like his cowardly parents that were sending him away because they couldn't deal with the affects of heart-break. It was really pathetic of them and he admired Sephira all the more for rising up to meet the new challenge of fostering this depressed child. Yet one look at her and he knew that she would be strong enough to take on any kind of challenge faced at her. She was a strong-willed independent woman. He only feared for the child's sanity, he honestly hoped that she wasn't planning on corrupting him as she had his own son. Poor Cloud. His boy was now forever destined to be hyper-active and creative and innovative and a rebel. All the things that made him uncontrollable Sephira had installed in him.

"But at least it's better then the depressed moping attitude from Aerith's death." Cid muttered and sighed at the memory. In actuality his son and Sephira's nephew shared similar stories, similar shady pasts. His son had been yanked out of it by the light that was Sephira but he didn't know if this new kid would be able to break free from his grief so easily.

From the description Sephira was given from his parents he was so detached from the world that any kind of interaction with others was merely reflected off of him. He had completely hidden himself within the shell of his own emotion. This was a much harder condition to reverse; then openly bawling and drowning out everyone else in their own misery. Yes, Cloud had been that obnoxious. But he supposed it was unkind and unfair of him to judge people when they are driven solely by instinct. Afraid of themselves and hurting from the massive hole in their life at the lost of their precious person they needed comfort not ridicule. Regrettably emotions were not his strong suit and that was where Sephira would be helpful in the healing of another miserable youth.

They both turned their attention to the thinning crowd streaming from the gate exit, hoping to find any sign of familiarity amongst the thousands of strangers they had seen today. Finally the main part dispersed and in an instant of recognition they both knew they had found Sephira's nephew.

He was easily recognizable, even after the initial shock of the hair and eye color similarities. He wore a black wife-beater shirt that had a large gothic cross inscribed in silver. He also wore a lot of belts around a noticeably thin waist. Dark denim jeans hung loosely from under the belts and he carried a matching denim jacket under his left arm.

Sephira knew it was him, not only because he has her silver flowing hair and bright aqua-colored eyes, but because he looked thin, a smaller amount of eating due to a lack of self-motivation. The dark bags under his eyes, although well concealed still showed thru proving that he had many a sleepless night. Also just the dark aura around him caused people to skirt to the side a couple feet to give the radiating pain a wide birth. She smiled knowing that she was needed.

Not waiting a second longer she rushed forward and embraced the startled youth into a warm comforting hug. For awhile he just stood there surprised until he offered a few friendly pats on the back if the overly emotional woman.

"WELCOME DEAR NEPHEW!" Sephira all but screamed out causing the people still trying to get by to walk away faster from the crazy group. Cid saw this as his cue and he moved forward to restrain Sephira from frightening off the poor man standing there with a scared look on his face.

"Hey kid what's your name?" Cid asked as he shot Sephira a look clearly meaning to cool down.

"Erm, Riku." The boy said still eyeing the crazy woman standing to his right. Sephira stifled her giddy excitement and soberly said,

"My name is Sephira, nice to meet you Riku, I'm your aunt." Instead of a hug she offered a warm smile that reached her eyes. After the brief introductions Sephira grabbed Riku's hand and hastened him over to the baggage claim. She started bubbling excitedly explaining how he would be living with her, and Cid was their driver for the moment because she had lost her license due to the large amount of tickets she had unlawfully acquired, and Cid had an adorable son that was sure to become Riku's friend and how he would love it at Aldridge Academy even if they were a bunch of stuck-up prissy brats and…As the woman continued to talk and talk in her endless explanation of everything she thought Riku needed to know and more he felt the small tug of a smile.

It was a refreshing change to have someone showering him with affection and plans for the future then the depressing dwelling on the past. Riku glanced over at Cid to see him following the silver-haired pair while shaking his head at Sephira's crazy antics. When Cid noticed Riku looking at him he too offered a friendly smile.

It still hurt. Inside Riku felt like the constant aching pain that acted as a reminder of his unforgivable sin. But for these people, he could try and pretend that it didn't hurt to breathe.

**END**

ok sorry but this is my girl Sephiroth. That is what she is supposed to remind you of. But I felt like making her a girl. And not like Sephiroth at all. But that is what she looks like only in girl form.

Oops my apologies, nothing really happened in that chapter. Oh well it felt good to sit here with my Arizona Iced Tea and gush out words. O YEAH and special thanks to **Blacksoul Andy **yes my soul reviewer. You are my driving inspiration for this story. Haha but yes hopefully more people will read this though and review. XD please!


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